Richard and I were up at Channel 4 in London on Monday, for the launch of Trans Media Watch‘s Memorandum Of Understanding. The event was hosted by Stuart Cosgrove, C4’s Head of Programmes (Nations and Regions) and a signatory to the MOU.

You can read the MOU if you go to TMW’s website; but in brief, the aims are:

Eliminate transphobia in the media

End the provision of misinformation about transgender issues in the media

Increase positive, well-informed representations of transgender people in the media

Ensure that transgender people working in or with the media are treated with the same respect as non-transgender people in equivalent positions

At least as important, to me, is the dialogue between media organisations and trans people that is taking place. This is a big step forward from, say, the Moving Wallpaper episode on ITV two years ago, which managed to be both stupid and thoroughly offensive in its portrayal of a transsexual character. There were mutterings in the blogosphere. There were letters to OFCOM. OFCOM woke up briefly and said that it couldn’t see a problem, and went back to sleep.

This has been fairly typical of the way things have worked in the past. So Monday’s event was a big step forward, hopefully.

And then everyone drank and talked. As you do. So much so that we didn’t give as much attention as they deserved, to the wonderful En Travesti Ensemble.

I was talking to a chap from the BBC who was talking about having trans people on telly doing things. You know, things. Like everyone else does. Rather than just transitioning or being medicalised or being the butt of jokes, like the portrayals in Little Britain which have regrettably not yet been entirely shovelled into the dustbin of history.

Valentino and me grabbing a photo-opportunity with Victoria Atkin off Hollyoaks. Shameless, we are!

10 Responses to Trans Media Watch at Channel 4

Nice to see you Dru. It was a momentous night indeed. One thing…Ofcom was there. The chap who adjudicated the MW case made a point of finding me to say lots of very supportive things, how we had really engaged with them on this (rather than just throw our toys about) and how what TMW has done has really changed Ofcom’s views. It was actually quite impressive of him.

About us

In 2008 we published a book called Becoming Drusilla, words by Richard and pictures by Dru, which is the story of our friendship, and how we both lived Dru’s transition after she decided on gender reassignment.

An important part of what we learned is that the transgender story, for the sake of a recognisable narrative, is often misrepresented. Certainly Dru’s experience doesn’t conform to standard ideas of ‘before’ and ‘after’. That’s why we’ve made Being Drusilla, because the operation isn’t the end of the story.

We're still friends. Sometimes we think about transgender issues, and sometimes we don’t. Becoming Drusilla, as a book, is now an accepted resource for anyone unexpectedly involved in a transgender story. We hope Being Drusilla is equally welcoming, but in a clickable way. Life goes on. And that's a fact.